Welcome! LOSFA Professional School Counselor Webinar 2014 Program Session

1. Welcome!LOSFA Professional School Counselor Webinar 2014Program Session

2. Don’t Blow Your TOPS! It pays to make good grades!

3. Citizenship • A student must be a U.S. citizen, or a permanent resident who is eligible to apply for citizenship

4. Residency • Any student who is a resident of the state and who graduates from a public or approved non-public high school meets the TOPS residency requirements if he or she actually resides or lives in Louisiana for the period of his or her last two full years of high school culminating in graduation as certified by the high school • Or, a parent or custodian of a dependent student must have been a resident of the state of Louisiana for the 24 months prior to high school graduation

5. Residency: Military Dependents • A dependent of a member of the U.S. Armed forces, who is transferred to Louisiana under permanent change of station orders, will be considered a resident for purposes of TOPS if the military member: • Changes his/her military personnel records to establish Louisiana as the member’s official state of residence within 180 days of reporting • Complies with Louisiana income tax laws • Submits an Affidavit of Residency and DD Form 2058

6. Criminal Record • Have no criminal convictions • Excludes misdemeanor traffic violations • A student who has a “final criminal conviction” may not accept a TOPS award • A juvenile conviction is not considered a “final criminal conviction” regardless of the nature of the offense • If the severity of the crime committed by a juvenile is such that he/she is tried as an adult, a subsequent conviction could be a “final criminal conviction” • The student should contact his/her attorney to determine if their conviction is a final “criminal conviction”

7. Early Admissions • Students entering a college or university under an early admissions program shall be considered first-time freshmen not earlier than the first semester following the academic year in which they graduate from high school

8. Graduation Year • For TOPS purposes, the annual academic year for high school begins on September 1 and ends on the following August 31

9. Early Graduation • Students who graduate early at mid-year will be eligible for a TOPS Award in the Spring semester following graduation • Certification for mid-year graduates will be done in conjunction with certification of May graduates • Awards for mid-year graduates who attend college in the Spring and who are determined eligible will be paid retroactively • Students who graduate early in the Spring will be eligible for a TOPS award in the Fall semester following graduation • Students who graduate early must comply with the same FAFSA and ACT deadlines applicable to the class that graduates in the Spring of that high school academic year

10. TOPS Core Curriculum • All TOPS core curriculum courses must be completed by the date of high school graduation • Distance learning courses approved by the high school may be used to qualify for TOPS • College courses taken in the classroom, online, or by correspondence may be used to qualify for TOPS provided that they are determined to be equivalent courses and appear on the student’s official high school transcript • Effective for the graduating class of 2017-2018, the TOPS Core Curriculum requirements and the method of calculating the grade point average required for program awards will change.

11. TOPS Core CurriculumFor students graduating in 2015-2017 • 4 units of English • 4 units of Math • 4 units of Science • 4 units of Social Studies • 2 units of Foreign Language (same language) • 1 unit of Art TOTAL of 19 core unit courses for TOPS

12. TOPS Core Curriculum for High School Graduates 2014-2017

13. TOPS Core Curriculum • Advanced Placement (AP) course and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses with the same name as a course listed in the TOPS Core Curriculum may be substituted. • The unit compromised of ½ Unit of Civics and ½ Unit of Free Enterprise may NOT be used by students in public schools to meet high school graduation requirements if they entered the ninth grade after June 30, 2011, but can be used by students in public and non-public schools to meet the TOPS Core Curriculum requirements.

14. TOPS Core Curriculum GPA • The cumulative grade point average (GPA) for a TOPS award will be calculated using only those grades achieved in the core curriculum courses • If a student has completed more than 19 credits for courses that are included in the core curriculum, the GPA will be calculated by using the course in each core curriculum category for which the student received the highest grade

15. TOPS Core Curriculum GPA • If a student is substituting two units for a one unit category, the grades from the two units will be averaged together and substituted as one unit • “P” grades are not included in the TOPS Core GPA calculation • For high schools using any grading scale other than a 4.00 scale, all grade values must be converted to a 4.00 scale (through the graduating class of 2016 – 2017) • GPA cannot be rounded up

16. TOPS Core CurriculumFor students graduating in 2018 and after • 4 units of English • 4 units of Math • 4 units of Science • 4 units of Social Studies • 2 units of Foreign Language (same language) • 1 unit of Art TOTAL of 19 core unit courses for TOPS

17. TOPS Core Curriculum for High School Graduates 2018 and thereafter

18. TOPS Core Courses Approved by BESE and Board of Regents for Calculation on 5.00 Point Scale

19. ACT • Highest composite score will be considered • TOPS does not consider the Essay portion of the ACT in calculating the composite score needed to qualify • ACT Registration • TOPS Code 1595 • Date of Birth

20. ACT • ACT Deadlines for 2015 Graduates • Without penalty: April 18, 2015 • Loss of one semester eligibility: June 13, 2015 • Special tests may be taken prior to July 1 • A June ACT score cannot be used to upgrade an Opportunity award to an Honors or Performance award • A June ACT score can be used to upgrade a Tech Award to an Opportunity Award with a one semester or two quarter penalty • Students who fail to achieve a qualifying ACT score by July 1 of the graduating year shall not be considered for an award

21. SAT • An equivalent SAT score may be substituted for the ACT score • TOPS does not consider the Essay portion of the SAT in calculating the composite score needed to qualify • SAT Registration • Scholarship Code 9019 • SAT Test Deadlines • Without Penalty: March 14, 2015 • Loss of 1 semester eligibility: May 2, 2015 and June 6, 2015

22. ACT/SAT • If LASFAC determines that the applicant was prevented from taking the test prior to July 1 of the graduation year due to circumstances beyond the immediate control of the student and attributable to test administration, a score obtained prior to September 30 of the graduation year may be considered.

23. 2014 Admission Standards • MINIMUM ADMISSION STANDARDS for FIRST-TIME FRESHMEN • These are the minimum admission standards for regular Freshman admission to a Louisiana, public four-year university for Fall 2014. • Students should check with the specific institution for additional information about the university’s requirements and process for admission.*

24. 2014 Admission Standards • High School Curriculum = Core 4 Curriculum Courses in the English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, and Arts categories listed in Bulletin 741 as Core 4. • Overall HS GPA = 2.0 (minimum) • Developmental Courses Needed = None. Demonstration of College Readiness: ACT English score = 18 (minimum) ACT Math Score = 19 (minimum) • Check with the school you wish to attend for specific ACT and GPA requirements

25. 4 Year TOPS Awards • Opportunity Award (tuition amount) • 2.50 core curriculum GPA on a 4.00 scale • A minimum ACT score equal to the prior year state average (currently a 20) • Performance Award (tuition plus $400 annual stipend) • 3.00 core curriculum GPA on a 4.00 scale • A minimum score of 23 on the ACT (1050 SAT) • Honors Award (tuition plus $800 annual stipend) • 3.00 core curriculum GPA on a 4.00 scale • A minimum score of 27 on the ACT (1210 SAT)

26. TOPS Opportunity, Performance and Honors Brochure

27. Don’t Blow Your TOPS Poster

28. TOPS Application • There are two methods for applying for a TOPS Scholarship • FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) – www.fafsa.gov • Must be completed if the student is eligible for federal grant aid (Pell Grant) • Must be completed if the student is seeking any other form of financial aid • The only application needed for TOPS OR • TOPS Online Application – www.osfa.la.gov • May only be completed by students who can certify that they do not qualify for federal grant aid • In the event of a budget shortfall, students completing the TOPS Online Application will be the first to lose their TOPS award • Do not complete if you have completed the FAFSA

29. Application Deadlines for 2015 Graduates Students who attend the 2015-2016 academic year who apply for TOPS between July 2, 2016 and October 29, 2016 must also have met the TOPS retention requirements to be eligible for TOPS funding at the beginning in the Fall 2016 semester

30. TOPS Processing Cycle • STEP 1 – Student takes ACT • ACT scores are sent to LOSFA electronically • STEP 2 – Student files FAFSA (Jan 1-July 1) • FAFSA data is sent to LOSFA electronically • STEP 3 – Student completes 19 core units before graduation • Academic Records from the high schools are sent to LOSFA electronically • STEP 4 – Student is determined eligible for TOPS • Students can create a Louisiana Award system account on our Web site to check their TOPS eligibility in June • Students will be mailed an award letter (by mid-July) • College will see student online at TOPS Master Roster • STEP 5 – College will send LOSFA a bill • Students enrolled full-time through the 14th class day

31. FAFSA

32. FAFSA • The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the application for both federal and state aid programs. • Be sure to fill out the FAFSA even if you don’t think you’ll qualify for need based aid. • The FAFSA is the only application needed for the TOPS scholarship. • You should never be asked to pay to fill out the FAFSA. It is a FREE application.

33. FAFSA • The only financial aid directly determined from the FAFSA data is eligibility for the federal Pell Grant • The primary purpose of the FAFSA is to establish the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) • The EFC is used by the institution, in a process called packaging, to determine your eligibility for campus based aid programs including FSEOG, Go Grant, Federal Work Study, Perkins Loans and William D. Ford Direct Loans

34. FAFSA Filing Methods • FAFSA On the Web: www.fafsa.gov • Faster processing • “Skip logic” – students are only asked questions which apply to them • Immediate EFC estimate • Online receipt verification • Live online help • Paper Application • Available by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243 or downloading from www.fafsa.gov

35. Get a PIN • Apply atwww.pin.ed.gov • The PIN allows you to sign the FAFSA electronically • For dependent students, both you and a parent must have a PIN • Parents may use the same PIN for all of their children • The PIN also allows you to make corrections to the FAFSA online

36. FAFSA: Student Information • Social Security Number • State of Legal Residence • Citizenship status • Interest in Student Loans and Work-Study programs

37. FAFSA: Student Finances • Records the student’s income, assets, and types of federal benefits received

38. FAFSA: Student Status • This section determines your dependency status • The EFC of a dependent student is based on both your financial information and your parents’ financial information • The EFC of an independent student is based on your (and your spouse’s) financial information

39. FAFSA: Student Status • To be considered an independent student, you must be able to answer yes to one of the following questions: • Were you born before January 1, 1992? • As of today, are you married? • At the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year, will you be working on a masters or doctorate program? • Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training? • Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

40. FAFSA: Student Status • Do you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2015 and June 30, 2016? • Do you have dependents (other than your spouse/child) who will live with you and receive more than half of their support from you now and through June 30, 2016? • At any time since you turned age 13, were both of your parents deceased, were you in foster care, or were you a dependent or ward of the court?

41. FAFSA: Student Status Special Circumstances • Are you or were you an emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of legal residence? • Are you or were you in legal guardianship as determined by a court in your state of legal residence? • At any time on or after July 1, 2014, were you determined by certain governmental agencies to be an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?

42. FAFSA: Parental Information • Skip if you are an independent student • Whose information do you use? • Grandparents, foster parents and legal guardians are not considered parents • If your parents are divorced or separated, answer the questions about the parent you lived with most during the past 12 months • If this parent is remarried as of today, answer the questions about that parent and their spouse

43. FAFSA: Parental Information • If your parent is single or widowed, answer the questions about that parent • If your widowed parent is remarried, answer the questions about that parent and their spouse

44. FAFSA: Parental Information • Records parental income, assets, and type of federal benefits received • Number of household in college • Does not include parents • Parental residency • Parents’ e-mail address

45. FAFSA: School Information • May list up to 10 institutions to receive FAFSA data when filing online • Make sure to list a Louisiana school first for TOPS purposes • Housing plan • Enrollment status

46. FAFSA: Signatures • For a dependent student, both the student and the parent must sign • FAFSA on the Web may be signed by: • Using a pin number • The parent and student must have separate pin numbers • Parents may use the same PIN for all of their children • Printing the signature page • Must mail within 14 days

47. Student Aid Report (SAR) • The SAR provides you with: • Expected Family Contribution (EFC) • Pell Grant Eligibility • Listing of Institutions which will receive your data • A financial aid history • A listing of your responses to the FAFSA • Corrections may be made: • Online at www.fafsa.gov • By phone at (800) 433-3243

48. TOPS Tech Award

49. TOPS Tech AwardGeneral Eligibility Requirements • Must be a U.S. citizen, or a permanent resident who is eligible to apply for citizenship • Must be a Louisiana resident • See TOPS presentation for the definition • Must have no criminal convictions • Excludes misdemeanor traffic violations

50. TOPS Tech AwardEligibility Requirements • 2.50 minimum TOPS or TOPS Tech Core Curriculum GPA • Minimum ACT score of 17 • SAT score of 810 • WorkKeys Silver Certificate • Completion of one the three TOPS Core Curricula • Opportunity, Performance or Honors Award curriculum • TOPS Tech Option 1 • TOPS Tech Option 2